Lisa Yang is a respected figure at the crossroads of music and finance.
As Managing Director of Media & Internet at Goldman Sachs‘ Global Investment Research, her analysis commands widespread industry attention.
That’s never truer than with ‘Music In The Air’ — Goldman’s annual deep dive into the music business, which Yang has authored (alongside her team) since she launched it 10 years ago.
But now Yang, who has been with Goldman for 16 years, is leaving the investment and analysis company.
She confirmed in an email to industry contacts on Friday (September 5) that she had “decided it’s time for a new chapter in my career”.
Where’s she going?
Whispers are getting louder amongst MBW’s network that she’s been hired by Warner Music Group.
If Yang does end up at Warner, she’s likely to work closely with another ex-Goldman exec in Michael Ryan-Southern.
Based in New York, Ryan-Southern was recruited by Warner last year to lead M&A activity at the major.
A Warner Music Group spokesperson declined to comment when contacted by MBW about Yang’s mooted arrival at WMG.
In a podcast interview with Music Business Worldwide in 2023, Yang expressed her confidence in the future growth potential of music rights.
Touching on a topic that’s only become more talked-about in the industry in the past year, Yang said: “More broadly, the industry should [consider] how it can better leverage the entire artist-fan relationship.
“That could include access to pre-release songs, ticketing, merchandising, virtual concerts, etc., to really try to monetize every single touchpoint between an artist and their fans.”
The latest edition of Goldman Sachs’ ‘Music In The Air’ was published in June.
It forecast that global paid music streaming subscribers will grow to 827 million in 2025, representing 10% YoY growth from 752 million in 2024.
The paper also forecasts that there will be over 1.5 billion people paying for music streaming subscriptions around the world by 2035.Music Business Worldwide
